Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


i 


NYMPHS  AND  SATYR. 

By  W.  A.  BOUGUEREAU. 


FIFTH  AVENUE  /^MADISON  SQUARE, 

JlEWYQf\K.eiTY! 


HE  PAPER  WAS  ESPECIALLY  MADE  FOR  THIS  BOOK  BY 

HENRY  LINDENMEYR,  N.  Y. 


"yHE  INK  WAS  MANUFACTURED  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  BOOK  BY 

J.  H.  BONNELL  &  CO.,  N.  Y. 

THE  PRESS-WORK  WAS  EXECUTED  ON 

CAMPBELL  BOOK  PRESSES. 


Copyrighted  1885 
by 

EDWARD  S.  STOKES. 


PUBLISHED  BY 
THE  PHOTO-ENGRAVING  COMPANY, 
67  &  G9  PARK  PLACE, 
NEW  YORK. 


PREFACE 

yeaid  aya  /Ae yam^km  e>^ S^ioaa'way,  A^/tj/A 
C^enue,  tmt/ (^/uen/y^^lA j^/iei?/,  /Ae  di/e  an  mAwA  newt 
d/oiidd  /A^e  P^c^nan  PlfyeMde,  iuad  a ^04/am  o//Ae  ed/a/e  0/ 
£$aMe/  ^/eM^nd  /Aa/  dedcenaed  /e  t/d  ^iede^/i/  emmeid—/Ae 
P^e^nand  and  ^mtnyd/ond.       S$fami^mzy  €&nt/  c^jtA 
CtAmmue,  nom  Atnet/ mt/A  €<u//u  ieua/enced/  twzd  /A^n  €m 
e^ien  €{MsmAy,  oM/A  <m^  Aeie  antA /Aed^e  a  tm-AZ/iA^et/ ^Ud<n 
M  a  n^mdion  Aa^ /Icat/en  in  /Ae ^Ataye,  wAcA  ylea/ ^uex~- 
/iaa/ma  ie^cAd  ietU&t/i tAeu  iu^et/jbttnd  /Aa/ Ama  dinte  Aat^e 
aidoA^eaied  Ae^-U  /Ae ^a/i/e^d  e^ <%t/wwj?ma  uiM/^a/i&n. 
AA^y  y^Md/     ^AAal tAanyed  Aaa^e  twuMet/in  /Aa/  Aa, 
€&?/i/ai/i//  AAAieie  ate  /Aom  amww  ad  mAo  letneiTtAei  /Aem. 


da/  4/  aAAf no/  Ae  044/  ^,/ace  Aele  /e  lecaA/ dwne  vA/Ae 
e4/en/d  /Aa/  Aaue  nnziAed aui ^toyledd  t/uuna./Aid ^leiiot/, 
ant/ leA//Ae  d/oiy  e^out  ykwu/A  /a  'tAode  {^yown^el  AAae^A. 


IReminiscences. 


RIOR  to  the  year  1830,  the  business  portion  of  New  York  and  most  of 
its  fashionable  residences  were  below  Canal  Street.  The  favorite  drive 
ended  at  a  little  road-house  familiarly  known  as  Corporal  Thompson's, 
on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Twenty-Third  Street,  and  on  rare 
occasions  an  excursion  was  made  as  far  as  the  Harlem  River.  There 
were  no  street  cars,  but  few  omnibuses,  and  two  or  three  ferries.  The  old  Park 
Theatre  was  the  principal  place  of  amusement,  and  the  gray-haired  sire  still  re- 
lates with  pleasure  how  he  witnessed  the  performances  there  of  Cooke,  Kean,  For- 
rest, Booth,  YVallack,  Conway,  Matthews,  and  the  celebrated  Malibran,  who  made 
her  first  appearance  in  America  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  may  also 
mention  the  fact,  that  the  first  marble-fronted  building  erected  in  New  York  was 
the  City  Hall,  and  that  a  strong  prejudice  existed  against  the  use  of  this  material  for  build- 
ing purposes  which  was  not  removed  for  many  years.  Even  when  it  was  conquered,  brown 
stone  became  the  fashionable  color,  only  to  give  place  in  turn  to  the  present  structures  in 
brick,  which,  independent  of  old  conventional  forms,  fascinate  the  fancy  by  their  freshness, 
piquancy,  and  daring  of  design.  This  peculiarity  may  be  observed  on  one  of  the  facades 
of  the  Hoffman  House,  which,  in  point  of  picturesque  beauty,  is  the  equal  of  any  in  the  city. 

The  Press  of  New  York  in  1830  consisted  of  less  than  fifty  journals  (all  included),  chief 
among  them  being  the  Commercial  Advertiser,  Evening  Post,  Morning  Courier,  New  York 
Enquirer,  Journal  of  Commerce,  Standard,  Porter  s  Spirit  of  the  Times,  Morris  Cf  Willis  s 
Mirror,  and  the  Knickerbocker  Magazine.  Irving,  Cooper,  Bryant,  Paulding,  Sims,  and  Fay 
were  then  young  men,  and  just  beginning  to  win  their  literary  laurels.  The  dailies  were  all 
six-penny  journals,  and  were  distributed  only  to  regular  subscribers.  The  first  penny  news- 
paper was  The  Sun,  which  was  issued  in  1833  by  Benjamin  H.  Day.  The  Herald  was  first 
published  in  1835  under  the  auspices  of  James  Gordon  Bennett  and  Anderson  &  Smith, 
a  printing  firm  in  Ann  Street.  This  establishment  was  soon  after  destroyed  by  fire,  when 
Mr.  Bennett  became  the  sole  proprietor.  The  New  York  Express  was  issued  by  James 
and  Erastus  Brooks  in  the  same  year,  and  in  1841  the  Tribune  was  published  under  the 
management  of  Horace  Greeley  and  Henry  J.  Raymond.  Mr.  Raymond,  who  began  his 
editorial  career  on  a  yearly  salary  of  five  hundred  dollars,  left  the  paper  two  years  after  to 
form  a  connection  with  the  Courier  and  Enquirer.  In  185 1  Mr.  Raymond  issued  the  first 
number  of  the  New  York  Dailv  Times. 


SINE  of  the  most  disastrous  events  of  the  early  history  of  this  city,  was  the 
?1  great  fire  of  1835,  which,  breaking  out  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city  in  one 
?&  of  the  coldest  nights  of  winter,  raged  for  three  days,  destroying  648  houses 
and  stores,  and  property  to  the  value  of  $  1 8,000,000.  This  calamity  was  followed  in  1837 
by  a  period  of  commercial  distress,  resulting  from  the  suspension  of  the  United  States  Bank. 
The  reaction,  however,  was  rapid,  and  trade  soon  became  as  brisk  as  before.  About  this 
time  the  steamships  "  Sirius,"  "  Great  Western,"  "  British  Queen,"  the  pioneers  of  the  present 
magnificent  ocean  fleets,  first  reached  our  shores. 

Croton  water  was  introduced  into  the  city  in  October,  1842,  and  the  first  line  of  mag- 
netic telegraph  opened  to  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Washington,  in  1845.  During  this 
year  another  devastating  fire  occurred  in  the  vicinity  of  Wall  Street,  destroying  several 
millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  property. 

Among  the  local  events  that  will  be  remembered,  are  the  Astor  Place  riot  in  May, 
1849,  when  Macready,  the  tragedian,  was  mobbed  while  performing  Macbeth  ;  the  first 
appearance  of  Jenny  Lind  in  Castle  Garden  in  1850;  the  visits  of  Parodi,  Catharine  Hayes, 
Sontag,  Alboni,  Grisi,  Rachel,  Thackeray  and  the  patriot  Kossuth  ;  the  trial  of  Ericsson's 
caloric  ship  ;  the  Grinnel  expedition  to  the  Arctic  regions  in  1849 !  tne  opening  of  the 
World's  Fair  in  1853  in  Reservoir  Park;  the  burning  in  185S  of  the  Crystal  Palace,  in  which 
the  fair  was  held,  and  the  sojourn  of  Franconi's  Hippodrome  in  the  space  opposite  the 
present  site  of  the  Hoffman  House. 

Central  Park  was  purchased  in  1856,  at  a  cost  of  five  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars  ; 
and  the  work  of  transforming  this  barren  tract  of  land,  two  miles  long  and  half  a  mile  wide, 
was  begun  in  1858,  and  with  its  lakes,  drives  and  promenades,  its  forests  and  flowers,  its 
architectural  designs,  memorial  statues  and  rural  adornments,  compares  favorably  to-day  with 
any  similar  resort  in  the  world. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  dwell  on  the  many  accessory  incidents  that  belong  to  this 
portion  of  the  history  of  New  York,  suffice  it  to  say,  that  in  the  changes  which  have  taken 
place,  the  imprints  of  improvement  are  everywhere  visible  ;  we  see  them  in  the  construction 
of  massive  works,  in  our  elevated  railroads,  museums  of  art,  churches,  palatial  homes,  col- 
leges, bridges,  ferries,  etc.,  etc.;  yet,  in  all  we  have  enumerated,  nothing  demonstrates  more 
clearly  and  forcibly  the  growing  taste  and  culture  of  the  American  people  than  the  increasing 
and  imperative  demand  for  modern  Hotel  accommodation,  where  those  of  cultured  taste  can 
enjoy  all  the  comforts,  elegance,  and  luxuries  of  life. 


Fsrst  Prize  Paris  Exposition  (88l. 


EVE. 


Marhlt  Sto/n,-  by  Ball. 


Qhe  Doffman  Douse. 


HE  owners  of  the  Hoffman  and  Livingston  estates  in  i860  determined 
on  the  erection  of  the  Hotel  that  now  bears  the  name  of  "Hoffman." 
and  selecting  a  number  of  lots  on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Fifth 
Avenue,  built  the  stately  structure  that  has  since  become  known  as  one 
of  the  most  palatial  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States.  It 
was  formally  opened  to  the  public  in  1864  by  Messrs.  Read,  Wall,  &  Co.,  Daniel  Howard 
being  the  company.  Two  years  later,  owing  to  illness,  Mr.  Howard  retired,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Messrs.  Mitchell  &  Read,  and,  on  the  termination  of  the  lease  in  1871.  Mr.  Read  became 
the  sole  proprietor  and  so  remained  until  the  accession  of  Mr.  Ed.  S.  Stokes  to  the  firm  in  1881. 

The  Hoffman  House  in  1864  contained  two  hundred  and  twelve  rooms.  Five  years  later, 
two  houses  on  West  Twenty-fourth  Street  were  added.  In  1870  it  was  found  that  the  accommo- 
dations were  still  inadequate,  and  the  mansions  on  Twenty-fifth  Street  were  joined  to  the  hotel. 
In  1876  the  same  difficult)'  existed,  and  two  more  houses,  with  forty  rooms,  were  taken  in.  In  1882 
Mr.  Stokes  suggested  the  idea  of  doubling  the  capacity  of  the  Hotel  by  the 
erection  of  an  eight-story  fire-proof  building  directly  communicating  i~^wMwimiiunimii 


on  Twenty-fifth  Street  with  the  one  already  existing  on  Broadway.  DfflS 


Q  r^'l''  BMP 


UFFICE  it  to  say  the  annex  is  now  complete  and  presents  one  of  the  handsomest 
specimens  of  architecture  to  be  found  in  this  city,  and  is  recognized  by  all 
travelers  as  not  only  the  most  comfortable  but  attractive  Hotel  in  the  world. 
The  style  of  architecture  of  the  Hoffman  House  is  the  Italian  Renaissance.  The  first 
story  is  of  Belleville  stone,  the  light  brown  shade  of  which  is  in  pleasing  contrast  to  the 
prevailing  color  elsewhere ;  the  second  story  is  also  principally  of  stone,  but  here  and  there 
begins  a  variety  of  ornamentation  in  brick  and  terra  cotta,  that  gives  a  diversified  aspect  to 
the  entire  facade  of  the  building.  In  the  third  story,  brick  is  generally  introduced,  with  stone 
trimmings  to  the  windows,  carved  in  grotesque  and  fancy  shapes.  The  other  stories  are 
repetitions  of  the  first  ;  each,  however,  being  different  from  the  other  in  the  matter  of  dec- 
oration, until  we  reach  the  seventh  and  eighth  stories,  which  are  finished  with  terra  cotta 
panels  and  fancy  brick  designs  worked  into  and  around  the  windows,  the  openings  of  the 
latter  being  lined  with  stone.  The  cornice  is  also  of  stone,  and  presents  a  broken  outline 
that  conforms  to  the  style  of  the  architecture.  Three  lines  of  bay  windows  extend  from  the 
ground  floor  to  the  roof,  and  indicate  the  presence  of  parlors  on  the  different  stories. 

Zhc  jftrst  jfloor. 

The  main  or  central  entrance,  on  Twenty-fifth  Street,  opens  in  a  hall  and  vestibule  sixteen 
feet  wide  and  thirty  feet  long,  and  connects  with  the  main  hall,  which  runs  parallel  with  the 
length  of  the  building,  directly  opposite  the  principal  staircase.  The  latter  is  constructed  of 
iron  and  marble,  and  ascends  in  consecutive  flisfhts  to  the  eighth  floor.  On  the  rig-fit  of  the 
hall  is  the  first  suite  of  apartments,  consisting  of  parlors  and  toilet  rooms.  On  the  left  is 
the  office,  reception  rooms,  etc.  A  bay  window  projects  from  the  front,  and  the  room  is  fitted 
in  hard  wood,  and  frescoed  and  adorned  with  choice  works  of  art.  Back  of  these  rooms,  and 
to  the  west  of  the  main  office  on  Broadway,  are  the  Banquet  Hall  and  the  Ladies'  Dining- 
room. 


TLhc  /Ifoain  Entrance  on  Broafcwa^ 

HIS  entrance,  probably  the  most  noticeable  of  any  hotel  in  the  metropolis, 
is  characterized  by  the  elaborateness  and  beauty  of  its  ceiling  and  side 
walls,  ornamented  by  "  trophies  "  in  relief  of  "Carton  Pierre,"  decorated  in 
gold,  copper  and  silver  from  the  designs  and  under  the  supervision  of 
Mr.  Harding,  the  architect.  The  elaborate  bronzing  was  executed  by 
Edouard  Leissner,  of  Fifth  Avenue. 


TTbe  Banquet  fball. 

RAX  I)  indeed  is  this  magnificent  room,  being  about  60  feet  square  and  26 
feet  high,  and  far  surpasses  in  dignity  and  beauty  anything  of  the  kind  in 
this  country,  and  may  be  favorably  compared  with  any  room  used  for  sim- 
ilar purposes  abroad. 

The  architecture  and  decorations  of  this  room  are  pure  Romanesque, 
with  elaborate  carving  and  painting,  and  nothing  has  been  spared  to  make  the  ensemble 
perfect.  The  room  is  divided  into  three  parts  by  two  massive  arcades  of  three  arches  each, 
inclosing  a  space  of  about  30  x  60  feet. 

The  ceiling  of  the  main  division  of  the  room,  supported  by  massive  beams  of  prima 
vera  wood,  and  gold  dividing  it  into  panels,  is  a  rich  blue  upon  silver,  with  a  bold  orna- 
mental band  of  ivory  white  on  either  side. 

Reference  to  the  cut  will  show  the  general  treatment  of  the  walls,  which  are  covered 
down  to  the  springing  of  the  arches  with  solid  gold — except  the  upper  band  of  ornament, 
which  is  perforated  for  purposes  of  ventilation — upon  which  is  painted  the  figures  and  the 
spandrel  ornaments. 

Next  below  the  perforated  band  is  a  broad  cove  on  which  are  painted  allegorical  figures, 
treated  decoratively,  with  a  background  of  arabesque,  representing  subjects  suitable  to  the 
purpose  of  the  room.  The  cove  over  the  mantel,  which  faces  one  upon  entering  the  room, 
is  occupied  by  an  extended  group  of  figures  representing  Music;  the  opposite  cove,  over  the 
entrance,  has  figures  which  suggest  the  occupations  of  the  kitchen  and  the  smoking-room.  On 
the  right,  as  -one  faces  the  fire-place,  the  cove  over  farthest  arch  has  figures  Fishing;  the  cove 
next  towards  the  entrance  has  a  representation  of  Wine,  while  the  nearest  cove  has  a  sug- 
gestion of  hunting.  On  the  left,  taking  the  spaces  over  the  arches  in  reverse  order,  beginning 
with  the  one  nearest,  one  sees  figures  engaged  with  Tea  and  Coffee  ;  the  next  compartment 
shows  Fruit ;  while  the  last  has  the  commonplace  but  necessary  Bouillon. 

Below  this  highly  decorated  surface  is  an  enriched  cornice  and  modeled  frieze  in  gold, 
and  the  arcade  with  its  columns  and  bases  of  prima  vera.  The  walls  of  the  rooms  outside 
the  arcade,  on  both  sides,  are  a  rich  golden  red,  and  the  room  is  lighted  by  da)'  from  windows 
in  these  walls  and  in  the  end  wall  of  the  main  room,  and  from  skylights  in  the  low  ceilings 
of  the  outer  rooms,  all  of  these  windows  and  skylights  being  fitted  with  a  very  rich  but 
delicate  mosaic  of  colored  and  opalescent  glass.     I  he  cost  of  this  room  was  over  $50,000. 


Xatoes'  2)ining  1Room, 

DJOINING  the  Banquet  Hall  is  the  Ladies'  Dining-room,  which  is  36  x  56  feet, 
and  is  elaborately  fitted  with  ebony  and  gold  trimmings  and  a  beautifully  painted 
ceiling,  with  floating  figures  on  canvas,  representing  on  the  southerly  side  "sun- 
rise," and  on  the  opposite  side  "  sunset."  The  walls  are  paneled  and  decorated 
with  rich  gold-colored  satin  damask. 
This  is  the  ladies'  favorite  room,  and  the  exquisitely  decorated  ceiling  pays  tribute  to  the 
aesthetic  taste  of  its  fair  patrons.  Owing  to  its  accessibility,  it  is  not  unfrequent  at  noon-time  to 
see  the  room  filled  with  ladies  who  have  been  "  out  shopping."  In  the  evening  this  room  is 
crowded  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  table  previously  reserved.  Here  may  be 
seen  the  elite  of  New  York,  and  the  richest  and  most  fashionable  toilets  of  the  Metropolis. 

1Fmmunit£  front  jfire. 

The  Hotel  is  built  nearly  fire-proof.  The  main  staircase  is  of  stone  and  iron,  covered  with 
Parian  marble,  and  continues  to  the  roof.  In  the  rear  of  the  Hotel  two  lines  of  fire-escapes 
extend  from  the  roof  to  the  basement,  and  there  are  also  a  number  of  lines  of  ladders  communi- 
cating with  the  adjoining  buildings  on  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the  house.  In  addition  to  these 
precautions  all  the  floors  are  deadened  to  the  depth  of  three  inches  with  cement,  and  the  main 
running  additions  are  filled  two  feet  above  the  floor  with  fire-proof  material,  making  it  impossible 
for  flames  to  communicate  from  one  floor  to  another.  Hose  is  always  attached  to  the  pump, 
ready  for  instant  service,  and  the  employees  are  thoroughly  drilled  should  an  alarm  take  place  ; 
while  automatic  clocks  are  placed  in  every  out-of-the-way  corner  which  indicate  to  the  clerks  in 
the  office  that  the  night  patrol  are  faithfully  performing  their  duty.  In  fact  there  is  no  depart- 
ment in  the  Hoffman  House,  either  in  its  old  or  new  wings,  upon  which  the  proprietors  have 
bestowed  greater  attention  than  upon  the  facilities  for  the  prevention  of  fire,  and  protection  of 
their  guests. 

Having  thus  completed  a  history  of  the  career  of  the  Hoffman  House  and  its  improvements, 
it  is  next  in  order  to  describe,  as  clearly  as  maybe  done,  aided  by  the  accompanying  illustrations, 
some  of  the  attractive  features  that  have  given  it  such  a  strong  individuality  among  travelers. 
That  which  first  strikes  the  eye  on  entering  any  of  the  several  entrances  is  the  luxuriant  display 
of  vines  and  flowers,  sending  forth  their  grateful  perfume.  The  office  is  in  the  rear  of  the  vesti- 
bule, occupying  its  entire  width,  and  by  reason  of  its  location  enables  the  clerks  who  may  be  on 
duty  to  command  an  unobstructed  view  of  whatever  may  require  their  attention  in  front.  It  is 
handsomely  carpeted,  adorned  with  costly  pictures,  and  provided  with  all  the  appliances  and 
improvements  conducive  to  its  successful  management.  Communication  with  every  room  and 
department  is  maintained  by  means  of  speaking  tubes  and  electric  bells,  while  the  telegraph  and 
telephone  are  near  at  hand  to  perform  their  mission  in  connecting  the  house  with  every  portion 
of  the  City. 


IReaMng  1Room  ant>  Cafe. 


EYOND,  to  the  left,  and  further  to  the  rear,  is  the  large  and  handsome  apartment 
appropriated  to  the  use  of  those  guests  who  may  desire  to  read  or  write  undis- 
turbed by  the  bustle  of  the  street  ;  where  in  summer  they  may  enjoy  the  coolness 
of  an  always  shaded  spot,  and  in  the  winter  months  muse  in  the  light  of  an  old- 
fashioned  fire-place.  On  one  side  the  wall  is  adorned  with  mirrors  and  pictures 
in  stained  glass,  alternating  with  richly  polished  panels  of  mahogany  ;  near  by,  is  a  bronze  vase 
that  holds  a  handsome  palm,  the  long  drooping  leaves  of  which  nearly  touch  the  ceiling.  In  the 
corners  nearest  the  doors  opening  into  the  cafe  are  two  life-size  statues  of  Nubian  Slaves,  male 
and  female,  supporting  on  their  heads  bunches  of  fruit.  These  figures  are  of  wood,  and  said  to 
have  been  carved  two  thousand  years  ago.  An  immense  moose-head,  one  of  the  handsomest 
preservations  of  the  kind  in  the  city,  spreads  its  antlers  over  a  space  several  feet  across,  and  in 
close  proximity  the  eye  is  arrested  by  a  unique  combination  of  the  head  of  an  Esquimaux  bear 
and  skin,  a  sledge,  and  fragments  of  some  Arctic  expedition — the  wooden  portion  being  mounted 
in  silver.  Under  this  stands  an  ancient  Flemish  strong-box,  made  of  iron,  such  as  was  used 
three  hundred  years  ago  for  the  same  purpose  as  a  modern  safe.  Old,  rusty  and  battered  as  it  is, 
its  labyrinth  of  bolts  and  bars,  and  substantial  frame,  shows  that  our  ancestors  were  as  desirous  to 
protect  their  pelf  as  those  of  the  present  day.  In  front  of  the  great  mirror  which  extends  from 
floor  to  ceiling  between  the  two  portals  that  introduce  one  to  the  Twenty-fourth  Street  side  of  the 
house,  resting  on  a  table  under  a  glass  case,  is  an  old  and  unique  Scotch  snuff-box,  which  is  made 
of  a  black-faced  Scotch  ram's  head  mounted  with  Scotch  jewels — a  duplicate  of  the  one  presented 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales  by  the  Free-Masons  of  England  on  his  accession  to  the  chair  as  Grand 
Master  of  all  England. 

Cafe  ant>  Biliiaufc  fl>arlor, 

"  The  Gentlemen's  Cafe"  or  smoking-room,  is  a  favorite  spot  with  the  guests  of  the  house  ; 
indeed,  at  all  times  it  is  a  pleasant  place  in  which  to  lounge  at  one's  meals  and  enjoy,  in  undis- 
turbed content,  the  sights  and  scenes  of  Broadway  and  Madison  Square.  The  furniture  is  plain 
and  rich,  the  ceiling  handsomely  frescoed,  the  feet  sink  into  the  softest  of  carpets,  the  appointments 
of  the  tables  are  elegant,  waiters  are  in  attendance  who  speak  all  the  modern  tongues,  and  the 
cuisine  and  wines,  which  are  furnished  a  la  carte,  are  of  a  quality  that  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired. 

Passing  through  this  cafe,  we  enter  the  Billiard  parlor,  which  extends  from  the  inner  corrider 
the  entire  length  to  Broadway,  occupying  a  space  of  30  x  75  feet.  The  ceiling  is  richly  frescoed  ; 
the  side  walls  decorated  and  wainscotted  in  quartered  oak  ;  the  floor  carpeted  with  the  finest 
English  Axminster.  It  is  furnished  with  six  handsomely  carved  oak  tables,  manufactured 
expressly  for  this  room  by  the  Brunswick- Balke-Collender  Co. 


private  EHnincHRooms. 


?EXT  to  the  necessities  of  a  well-appointed  cuisine,  the  gourmet  appreciates 
the  luxury  of  well-regulated   private   dining-rooms,   and   here   the  most 
fastidious   taste  is  displayed    in  the  magnificent  appurtenances  of  this 
grand  establishment. 
Several  private  dining-rooms  have   been  most  lavishly  furnished  for  the 
accommodation  of  private  dining  and  theatre  parties  ;  each  room  being  different 
from  the  others  in  its  decorations  and  upholstery.     It  is  not  alone  superb  glass, 
cutlery  and  china  that  attract  the  attention   of  the  guest,   but   the  exquisite 
taste  and  elaborate  finish  that  is  everywhere  apparent. 

The  Oriental  room  is  entirely  decorated  in  the  Eastern  style — chandeliers, 
candelabra  and  the  subdued  light  of  the  Orient  prevailing.  These  attractions, 
added  to  the  fragrance  of  vines  and  choice  flowers,  render  the  charm  of  these  beautiful 
apartments  pleasing  to  the  sensitive  taste  of  the  "bon  vivant." 

The  Moorish  room  is  a  triumph  of  the  decorator's  art,  the  entire  interior  being  furnished 
in  the  most  liberal  and  beautiful  manner,  recalling  parts  of  the  Alhambra  at  Grenada.  The 
appointments  of  this  beautiful  specimen  of  the  arabesque  rival  in  magnificence  anything  of 
its  kind  in  the  world  ;  the  sconces,  hanging  lights,  and  table  furniture  being  expressly  manu- 
factured for  this  suite  at  a  fabulous  cost. 

The  Orange  room,  the  " Salle  de  Flcurs"   room,  the  Blue  Satin  room,  and   the  Persian 
room  are  also  marvels  of  beauty. 


Brfoal  Chambers, 

HE  Bridal  Chambers  are  a  suite  of  seven  rooms,  occupying  the  entire  fronton 
Twenty-fifth  street  of  the  floor  above  the  parlors,  arranged  so  that  they  may  be 
!(}  divided  into  suites  of  two  or  more  rooms. 
The  rooms,  in  their  order  from  the  one  nearest  Broadway,  may  be  described  as  follows,  viz.: 
The  first  is  a  very  delicate  and  cheerful  Arabic  room,  with  pale  buffs,  blues,  and  bronze  colors  ; 
the  next,  a  richer  Renaissance  in  tones  of  soft  red  ;  the  third,  a  delicate  blending  of  whites,  gold, 
soft  red,  and  pale  blue,  with  wall  hangings  of  pale  gold  satin  ;  the  fourth,  white  and  gold,  with 
wall  hangings  of  white  satin,  with  pink  figures  embroidered  in  outline  with  gold  thread  ;  the  fifth, 
soft  blues,  whites,  and  yellows,  with  hangings  of  India  silk  with  pale  blue  figures;  the  sixth, 
delicate  white  ornament  of  gold,  white  or  robin's-egg  blue,  and  golden  olive  ;  the  seventh,  a 
Persian  treatment  as  of  white  tiles,  with  blues  and  greens.  To  describe  the  costly  furniture 
and  the  various  stuffs  and  articles  of  vertu  would  require  a  volume. 

/IfoUSlG 

Not  unmindful  of  the  musical  tastes  of  the  guests,  the  proprietors  have  arranged  for  soft 
instrumental  music  in  the  Grand  Banquet  Hall  at  dinner,  between  the  hours  of  6  and  8  P.M.,  and 
also  at  supper,  from  11  to  12:30.  The  musicians  being  secluded  from  view  in  a  conservatory  of 
plants  and  flowers,  lends  an  additional  charm  to  the  already  magnificent  surroundings. 


©rcbestrion, 

A  grand  Orchestrion  is  located  on  the  parlor  floor  for  the  benefit  of  the  ladies  and  children. 
It  represents  a  strength  of  thirty  musicians,  and  was  made  specially  for  the  Hoffman  House, 
being  an  exact  duplicate  of  the  Orchestrion  made  for  the  Queen  of  Portugal,  and  the  only 
one  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States.  It  is  adapted  for  all  kinds  of  music,  with  the  follow- 
ing accompaniments :  Flute,  oboe,  clarionet,  trumpets,  metal  stops,  drum,  big  drum,  cymbals, 
triangle,  etc. 


ZEbe  Bat>1Room. 

ONSPICUOUS  among  the  curiosities  of  the  City  is  the  Bar-Room  of 
this  house.  The  exterior  entrance  is  on  Twenty-fourth  Street,  and  in 
its  brilliantly  illuminated  recess  is  not  unlike  that  of  many  of  the 
palatial  mansions  of  New  York.  Electric  lights  in  front,  and  great 
windows  of  glass,  the  colors  of  which  are  woven  into  exquisite  pictures 
of  different  designs,  are  the  only  indications  that  the  room  is  not  of  a 
private  character.  A  few  steps  carry  us  to  the  threshold,  and  there 
for  a  moment  the  visitor  may  pause,  as  he  contemplates  the  magnificence  of  an  establish- 
ment the  praises  of  which  have  been  sung  throughout  the  Old  World  and  the  New, — a 
place  that,  but  for  its  convivial  suggestiveness  and  atmosphere  of  good  fellowship,  might  be 
mistaken  for  a  cabinet  of  curiosities  or  a  boudoir  of  art. 

The  room  is  50  x  70  feet  in  dimensions,  and  all  of  its  wood-work,  paneling,  bar,  lunch 
counters,  etc.,  is  of  highly  polished  San  Domingo  mahogany  of  the  finest  quality.  The  ceil- 
ing is  frescoed  in  light  colors,  and  the  iron  pillars,  by  which  it  is  supported,  are  adorned 
with  golden  vines  that  trail  in  graceful  curves  around  their  ebony  sides.  The  floor  is  of 
tessellated  tile  laid  in  small  squares,  and  the  portion  occupied  by  the  chairs  and  tables  is 
covered  with  handsome  Turkish  rugs.  The  furniture  is  solid  and  plain,  and  mounted  in 
accord  with  the  prevailing  style  of  decoration. 

At  each  end  of  the  long  counters  a  small,  upright  cub-bear  supports  a  standard,  on  the 
top  of  which  is  a  unique  imitation  in  miniature  of  the  old-fashioned  street  lamp  of  our  fore- 
fathers ;  on  the  corresponding  ends  opposite,  two  bulls  perform  the  same  silent  task — gentle 
reminders  of  their  namesakes  in  Wall  Street. 


fAN  AND  BACjHANTI. 

(First  Prize  Paris  Exposition  1878.)  SCHLESSLVGER. 


buffet,  28  feet  long  and  18  inches  wide.         t>  rSj£fjBl£S : %L 


—     In  the  middle  of  the  room  is  a 
buffet,  28  feet  long  and  18  inches  v 
This  is  surrounded  by  brilliantly  pol-  a 
ished   counters   of   corresponding  length,  c^?^rSf 


where  may  be  seen  at  all  hours  the  citizens  and  tyj^^'^i 
strangers  who  have  dropped  in  to  enjoy  a  social  glass.^ 
It  is  attractive,  however,  in  more  senses  than  one  ;  it  is 
'3'  adorned  with  the  rarest  and  most  exquisite  objects  of  art. 
They  occupy  a  score  or  more  of  little  shelves  and  niches,  are 
repeated  in  the  mirrors,  and  vie  with  each  other  in  challenging 
the  admiration  of  the  beholder.  Perched  on  the  cornice,  just 
under  the  ceiling,  and  half  concealed  among  the  ferns  and 

g^;  palms,  is  a  fox  indulging  in  his  favorite  propensity  before  a 
.  1,  well-filled  basket. 

Occupying  prominent  positions  elsewhere,  you  see  an 
F       equestrian  statue  by  Ida,  the  sister  of  Rosa  Bonheur  ; 
a  life-sized  cockatoo  in  porcelain  ;   a  pair  of  elegant 
and-painted  Dresden  vases  ;  a  California  miner  in 
terra  cotta,  with  kit  on  his  back,  "wearily  wending 
his  homeward  way";  a  chased  silver  fruit-stand, 
with  a  Venetian  cut-glass  flower-holder ;  a  whiffletree 
made  of  old   English   oak,  trimmed  with  silver 
antique  Greek  vase  in  black  enamel  ;  a  large 
"stirrup  cup"  of  English  oak,  bound  in  silver; 
a  silver  punch-bowl  and  tankards  ;  a  silver 
barrel,  under  which  the  gas  jets  play  and  keep 
the  water  hot  that  makes  the  fragrant  punch  ; 
plaques,  vases,  groups  of  miniature  statuary 
all  scattered   in  artistic   profusion   among  the 
nooks  and   alcoves  of    this  museum.  These, 
added  to   the   superb  collection  of  silver  and 
glassware  for  common  use,  and  the  quiet  grace 
with  which  prince  and  plebeian  are  served  alike 
by  those  in  charge,  are  well  calculated  to  enlist  the 
interest  of  the  wayfarer. 


III 


BOUDOIR  OF  AN  EASTERN  fRINCESS. 


ETIENNE. 


TJHE  EGG  DANCER. 


By  G.  A' A  ST. 


©il  {paintings. 


N  promenading  around   the  room,  the  eye  is  still  further 
arrested  by  the  valuable  array  of  paintings,  statuary,  and 
bric-a-brac.   Chief  among  the  former  is  the  famous  picture 
of  Bouguereau,  entitled  "Nymphs  and  Satyr."    In  this  connec- 
tion, it  is  proper  to  introduce  a  copy  of  the  letter  from  the  artist : 

75  Rue  Notre  Dame  des  Champs, 

Paris,  June  iith,  1877. 

Sir  : —  You  are  the  possessor  of  one  of  my  most  important  and 
successful  works,  "Nymphs  and  Satyr,"  which  I  am  very  desirous 
should  be  seen  at  the  Universal  Exposition  of  1878,  as  without 
the  exhibition  of  my  works  would  be  deprived  of  what  I  assure 
I  consider  would  be  the  most  notable  feature  of   my  future 
exhibitions,  &c,  &c. 

Believe  me, 

Yo?irs  very  truly, 

Wm.  Bouguereau. 

Still  another  very  handsome  work  is  one  that  adorns  the  western  wall — 
^     a  unique  piece  of  Gobelin   tapestry,  20x20  feet,  made  for  Napoleon  III. 
,V*         It  represents  the   Port  of  Marseilles,  the  palace  presented  by  the  citizens 

C* — y 

>         of  Marseilles  to  the  Emperor,  the  church  on 

r       the  hill,  and  vessels  and  the  lighthouse  in  the 

)         foreground.      Its   delicate   colors,  marvelous 
f  & 

tints  of  water  and   sky,  and  the  elaborate 

art  shown  in  its  manufacture,  texture,  and 

design,    have   been  greatly   admired.      Near   this,  c^J^} 

under  a  canopy  of  maroon  velvet  plush,  lined  with 

whitesatin  and  illuminated  by  four  electric  lights,  is 

the  great  painting  "Narcissus"  by  Correggio.    The  following  is  a  description  of  the  subject 


ARCISSUS  was  the  son  of  the  river  god  Cephisus  and  the  sea  nymph 
Liriope.  According  to  Pausanias,  he  had  a  sister  to  whom  he  was 
tenderly  attached.  She  resembled  him  in  features,  was  similarly 
attired,  and  until  her  death  accompanied  him  in  the  hunt.  Narcissus, 
deeply  lamenting  her  loss,  frequented  a  neighboring  fountain  to  gaze 
on  his  own  ima^e  in  its  water.  The  strong  resemblance  made  his 
own  reflection  appear  to  him,  as  it  were,  the  form  of  his  sister  The 
Goddess  Echo  calls  to  him  in  vain,  and  the  Gods,  looking  with  pity  on  his  grief,  changed 
him  to  the  flower  that  bears  his  name. 

Another  painting  is  by  Demonceaux.  It  represents  the  Friar  Angelica,  falling  asleep 
over  his  unfinished  picture,  "  The  Holy  Mother,"  and  dreaming  that  it  is  finished  by  an 
angel.  He  wakes  to  find  that  his  dream  is  realized.  The  angel  is  present  with  an  attendant 
holding  a  palette,  halos  around  their  heads.  Light  streams  in  from  the  window,  the  Bible 
of  the  old  Friar  is  on  the  floor,  and  on  the  rude  table  in  the  foreground  are  his  paints  and 
brushes.    The  angel  has  just  added  the  last  touch  to  the  head  of  the  Virgin  when  he  wakes. 

Among  other  important  works  that  may  be  enumerated  and  have  places  on  the  walls, 
are  "The  Russian  Mail  Carrier,"  by  Chelmonski  ;  "The  Vision  of  Faust,"  by  L.  Falero,  a 
marvellous  work  of  art,  and  in  the  judgment  of  many  persons,  second  only  to  the  "  Nymphs 
and  Satyr;"  "The  Nymph  of  the  Danube,"  by  W.  Kray,  a  life-size  figure,  full  of  beauty; 
Etienne's  "  Boudoir  of  an  Eastern  Princess,"  and  the  "  Palm  Sunday,"  by  W.  D.  Sadler.  In 
the  latter,  three  jolly  priests  are  about  to  enjoy  their  feast  of  fish  and  wine,  and  their  faces  are 
expressive  of  the  pleasure  with  which  they  are  anticipating  the  first  cut.  There  is  also  a  strik- 
ing picture  by  J.  H.  Merle,  entitled  "  An  Eastern  Harem." 

The  larger  pieces  of  statuary  are  so  disposed  in  front  of  mirrors  and  elsewhere,  that  the)' 
command  a  favorable  light  both  by  clay  and  night.  Among  are  these  Ball's  "Eve,"  in  marble, 
doubtless  one  of  the  greatest  productions  of  the  sculptor's  chisel  ;  "  Pan  and  Bacchante,"  in 
bronze,  by  Schlessinger  ;  "The  Egg  Dancer,"  by  G.  Nast,  a  fine  piece  of  old  bronze;  and 
"  The  Driver,"  by  Taracchi. 


NARCISSUS. 

CORREGCW.  1564. 


©bjects  of  Hit 

CATTERED  elsewhere  around  the  walls  between  the  windows  and 
pictures  are  articles  of  vertu.  At  the  Broadway  end  of  the  room  one 
is  confronted  by  the  gigantic  frame  of  a  knight  in  armor,  the  latter 
being  adjusted  with  such  life-like  reality  that  memory  involuntarily  turns 
backward  to  the  days  when  Richard,  the  lion  heart,  led  his  brave 
Templars  to  the  gates  of  Jerusalem.  Near  by  is  a  "  Haarlem  Clock,"  five  hundred  years 
old,  from  a  Rotterdam  palace.  It  chimes  twelve  times  and  strikes  the  half  and  quarter 
hours  with  different  sets  of  gongs.  Besides  these  are  two  Louis  XIV  pendulum  clocks. 
"  A  musical  tight-rope  dancer "  is  to  many  persons  an  attractive  feature  combined  as  it 
is  with  a  music-box,  which  plays  various  airs.  This  fine  piece  of  mechanism  was  made 
in  1803,  by  Berguet.  of  Paris,  and  is  running  as  well  to-day  a?  when  it  was  first  put 
into  operation.  In  the  same  line  of  interesting  objects  is  a  "Musical  Aviary,"  an  old,  rare, 
and  beautiful  automaton,  which  plays  numerous  airs  accompanied  by  singing  birds,  while 
a  monkey  plays  on  a  violin  and  a  minstrel  dances  in  the  foreground.  One  of  the  daintiest 
objects  in  this  treasure  house  of  curiosities,  at  any  rate  one  that  ""attracts  much  attention 
from  the  lovers  of  the  beautiful,  is  a  gold-lined  bowl  adorned  with  bunches  of  grapes, 
resting  on  a  table  upheld  by  three  storks.  Fancy,  however,  must  take  the  place  of  any 
description  in  detail,  for  it  is  impossible  for  the  pen  to  convey  a  correct  idea  of  the 
manner  in  which  taste  in  arrangement  has  been  combined  with  the  creations  of  art,  in 
producing  such  a  handsome  and  harmonious  whole. 


advantages  of  Xocation, 

HERE  is  no  hotel  in  the  city  more  centrally  or  favorably  situated  for  the 
purposes  of  business  or  pleasure  than   the  Hoffman;     From  the  front 
entrance  on  Broadway  the  guest  may  step  into  the  street  cars  and  omnibuses, 
that  either  go  direct  or  connect  with  the  Elevated  Railroad  and  other  lines, 
that  will  convey  him  to  every  important  point  in  the  city.     In  the  main  corridor  of 
the  Hotel  itself,  the  merchant  or  speculator  may  hear  beating  the  pulse  of  Wall 
street,  and  note  the  fluctuations  of  the  market ;  while  banks,  express  and  telegraph 
offices  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  afford  every  facility  for  transaction  of  business. 

Only  a  few  minutes'  walk  down  Broadway  is  Union  Square,  one  of  the  most 
noted  of  the  minor  parks.  Here,  too,  within  a  stone's  throw  of  each  other,  are  the 
Union  Square  Theatre,  Wallack's  old  theatre,  now  called  "The  Star,"  the  Academy 
of  Music,  and  Tiffany's  famous  jewelry  establishment,  where  are  to  be  seen  the  most  costly 
forms  of  ornament  with  which  wealth  delights  to  surround  itself,  and  where  the  fashionable  side 
of  New  York  life  is  fully  represented  from  morning  until  night.  Madison  Square,  which  is  in  front 
of  the  Hoffman  House,  includes  about  six  acres,  bounded  by  Twenty-sixth  Street,  Madison 
Avenue,  Twenty-third  Street,  and  Broadway.  The  park  abounds  with  fine  shade  trees,  has  a  large 
fountain,  and  its  trim  lawns  are  interspersed  with  splendid  beds  of  flowers  and  vari-colored  plants 
shaped  in  geometrical  designs.  At  the  junction  of  Broadway  and  Fifth  Avenue,  opposite  the 
Hoffman  House,  stands  a  fine  monument  to  the  memory  of  Major-General  Worth,  a  gallant  soldier 
of  the  war  of  1812,  and  the  Seminole  and  Mexican  campaigns.  On  the  south  side,  adjacent  to 
the  Broadway  corner,  a  bronze  statue  of  William  H.  Seward  is  seated  on  its  pedestal.  On 
the  Madison  Avenue  side  of  the  park  a  large  and  beautiful  drinking  fountain  has  been 
placed,  and  the  various  stages  and  carriages  which  stop  there  to  permit  the  horses  to  drink, 
give  a  vivid  and  novel  aspect  to  the  scene.  This  park,  like  Union  Park,  is  lighted  by  six 
electric  lights  suspended  on  a  tall  mast  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high. 

This  description  of  the  grandest  Hotel  of  modern  times  would  not  be  complete  without 
a  reference  to  the  facilities  for  bathing  possessed  by  this  establishment.  In  this  connection 
the  following  article,  from  a  leading  New  York  journal,  will  explain  itself : 


TLbc  Wine  1Room. 


ROM  the  beginning  of  this  enterprise,  it  has  been  the  aim  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  Hoffman  House  to  maintain  its  reputation  for  catering 
only  to  the  choicest  appetites.  To  this  end  their  cuisine  and  wines  have 
been  religiously  kept  at  the  highest  standard  of  excellence.  The  purity 
of  the  liquors  is  an  especial  feature  of  the  establishment,  for  it  is  a  well- 
known  fact  that  there  is  no  place  where  the  quality  of  fluids  imbibed  is  more  closely  scrutinized. 
The  wine  cellar  of  the  Hoffman  House  is  the  largest,  and  contains  the  best  selected  stock  in 
the  city.  Long  experience  has  taught  the  lesson,  that  only  the  best  liquors  which  the  cellars 
of  the  world  afford  will  satisfy  the  guests  who  patronize  this  Hotel. 

Zbc  Ikttcben. 

The  kitchen  may  be  classed  among  the  remarkable  features  of  the  establishment,  and  in 
the  arrangement  of  this,  the  architect,  J.  B.  Snook,  exercised  extraordinary  skill,  with  a  view 
of  possessing  the  most  perfect  kitchen  in  this  country,  if  not  in  the  world. 

The  system  of  ventilation  in  the  culinary  department,  as  elsewhere  in  the  premises,  is  simply 
perfect,  pure  air  being  introduced,  while  the  heated  atmosphere  is  being  expelled  through  massive 
iron  cylinders  to  the  roof.  The  machinery  for  the  elevator,  pumps,  tanks,  etc.,  is  also  located  in 
the  basement,  and  is  directly  under  the  control  of  one  of  the  engineers,  who  in  turn  is  in  electric 
communication  with  the  main  office.  Under  the  sidewalk  are  spacious  vaults  and  boiler-rooms, 
and  here  also  are  to  be  found  huye  refrigerators,  said  to  be  the  finest  in  the  countrv. 


H  /Iftagnificent  Bathing  Establishment 

[From  the  Morning  Journal.] 

ONG  ago  Mr.  Stokes  conceived  the  idea  of  having  a  bathing  establish- 
ment in  connection  with  his  house,  and  for  months  he  has  been  devoting 
a  great  part  of  his  time  to  constructing  and  furnishing  the  finest  establish- 
ment of  this  kind  in  the  country  without  any  exception.  Over  $50,000 
has  been  expended,  and  the  result  is  a  hydropathic  sanitarium,  to  the 
completeness  and  luxuriance  of  which  nothing  can  be  added. 

The  baths  adjoin  the  Hoffman  House  on  the  Twenty-fourth  Street 
side,  and  are  entered  through  a  hall,  the  floor  of  which  is  inlaid  in  dark 
marbles  in  Turkish  designs.  They  occupy  three  floors  of  the  building.  On  the  first  are  the 
Turkish  and  Russian  baths.  In  the  latter  the  pool  is  reached  by  marble  steps,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  heavy  nickel  railing.  It  is  in  the  style  of  the  baths  in  old  Roman  palaces. 
Marble  steps  rise  in  tiers  about  the  room.  The  ceiling  is  a  dome  richly  decorated  in  gold. 
The  temperature  can  be  regulated  to  a  degree.  A  needle  shower-bath  adjoining  is  one  of  the 
largest  and  finest  in  the  world.    The  ante-rooms  would  ornament  the  mansion  of  a  millionaire. 

The  velvet  rugs  and  carpets  were  imported  for  the  purpose.  The  elegant  rugs  were 
selected  by  Mr.  Stokes  in  Paris.  All  the  wood-work  is  solid  carved  white  oak.  A  row  of 
beveled  mirrors  extends  around  the  compartments.  The  draperies  are  in  heavy  satin  damask, 
the  prevailing  color  being  maroon  The  ornamentation  is  oriental,  and  Turkish  designs  are 
everywhere  visible.  Stars  and  crescents  cover  the  walls  and  ceiling.  The  sconces  are  magnifi- 
cent Turkish  lanterns,  and  throw  a  soft,  dim  lisrht  that  is  eratifvinsf  to  the  eves  of  the 
bather.  Every  compartment  is  completely  isolated,  and  the  glass-work  throughout,  all  of  it 
stained  glass  of  peculiar  pattern,  moves  on  axes  to  furnish  a  perfect  ventilation.  The  couches 
and  divans  are  soft  and  luxurious. 

There  are  Turkish,  Russian,  medicated,  electric,  sulphur,  herb,  plunge,  shower,  and  a 
dozen  baths  of  other  descriptions.  Attendants  are  in  waiting,  and  a  house  physician  is  in 
constant  and  personal  charge  of  the  establishment. 


The  main  up-town  offices  of  the  Commercial  Cable  Co.  (Mackay-Bennett  cables),  "*^| 
The   Postal  and   Bankers'  and  Merchants'  Telegraph  Companies  are  located  in  the 
Hoffman  House,  and  are,  without  doubt,  the  most  elaborate  electrical  offices  that  have  ever 
been  designed     They  are  constructed  of  hard  woods,  beautifully  carved,  and  inlaid  with  panels 
of  rare  stone,  and  metallic  emblems  wrought  in  antique  hammered  work. 

The  patrons  of  the  house  are  enabled  by  these  lines  to  send  their  messages  to  all  parts 
i  '    of  the  world  where  telegraphic  communications  are  established  ,  and  besides  having  facilities  I 
of  seventy-six  thousand  miles  of  land  wire,  can  communicate  abroad 
by  the  new  Mackay-Bennett  cable,  which  the  Faraday  has  just  laid. 

The  Commercial  Cable  Company  is  a  private  enter- 
prise, owned  solely  by  Messrs.  John  W.  Mackay,  of  San 
Francisco,   and  James  Gordon   Bennett,  of  New  York. 

The  public  demand  for  a  lower  tariff  prompted  these  gentlemen  to  begin  the 

task  which  has  just  been  so  successfully  completed.    They  ordered  of  the  Messrs. 
Siemens  Bros.  &  Co    two  new  cables,  to  have  all  the  latest  improvements, 
and  to  have  embodied   in   their  construction  every  advantage  known  to 
this  firm  through  their  long  experience.    The  public   can,  therefore,  rely 
upon  a  superior  cable  service  at  a  reduction  of  at  least  twenty-five  per  cent,  below 
the  present  rates. 


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